Project Description:
This project introduces the field of political theory by tackling its most foundational question: Why do human beings accept authority? Before diving into ideologies or governments, we must understand the basic psychological and philosophical reasons people follow leaders, laws, and social rules.
We’ll begin by exploring early human organization — how leadership may have emerged naturally in tribes based on strength, wisdom, or survival needs. Then, we’ll introduce foundational thinkers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, examining how they tried to answer the question: What makes a government legitimate?
You’ll compare their views, apply them to modern-day life (e.g., schools, police, tech platforms), and reflect on your own views of power and order.